Things That Gain from Disorder

Some things seem to improve if they are placed in environments of volatility and unpredictability. Antifragile (2014) analyzes why this is the case. It suggests that this quality has been vital for the progress of human civilization since ancient times.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb takes a critical look at modern society and its aim to smooth out life by interfering in systems like the economy. Far from making society a better place, this interfering nature is destroying the volatile environment essential for antifragility to take place.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“These blinks changed the way I think about systems and processes. They explain how, while most things break when they’re put under stress, a few, incredibly important things get stronger and stronger. If we want to build a world where things keep getting better, these blinks are critical reading.”

– Thomas, English Editorial Lead at Blinkist

Anyone who wants to know why some systems improve over time

Anyone who wants to know how to take advantage of uncertainty

Anyone interested in why crises happen

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is an academic and author of bestselling works such as The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness. He has devoted his life to studying the cause and effects of uncertainty and probability. He is currently Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering at New York University’s Polytechnic Institute.

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